MICHAEL CARDINAL (OTHERWISE MEEKIS, OKENASE , THE BONE)

is the son of Jacques Cardina. His mother was a Saulteaux woman named Sarah (Salley). Jacques and Sarah had at least four children (1) André (2) Alexis (3) Michael and (4) Susan. André remained in the Jasper area as a guide,Susan married Jasper House fur trader, H.J. Moberly and Alexis became famous Canadian missionary Albert Lacombe’s assistant. Sarah had a subsequent marriage to James Peter Whitford Sr. One of their children was Margaret (Peggy) Whitford, thus making Michael Cardinal and Margaret Whitford half-siblings.

As was customary with powerful Native men in his era, Michael Cardinal took more than one wife. His Assiniboine wife bore children Chief Louis Ochoup (O’Soup), Tail Feathers Wuttunee, Baptiste Cardinal, St. Paul, Chief Red Pheasant, Mary Cut Sleeve Keekakanekwas (who married David Ahenakew) and Chief Meekis.

His Metis (French-Saulteaux) wife had children George andAntoine Bone, William Mucatehpenese or Blackbird, and John JoJo.

From his Orkney wife came children Keesikoowenin, also known as Moses Burns, and Baptiste Bone

(Okanase).Michael Cardinal moved to the Riding Mountain area in the early 1820s. Itmay well be that he had come eastward with his half-sister, Margaret and her husband, George Flett, a Metis trader. By 1816 the Fletts lived in the PrinceAlbert region and by 1882 were living at Fort Garry.

The Fletts had at least sixchildren: James, John, George, William, David and Margaret Atkinson. By 1869,William was Chief Trader at Fort Garry. Son George became a notedPresbyterian missionary at Prince Albert and the Riding Mountain area.It is notable that nine of Michael Cardinal’s sons became powerful chiefsand played significant roles in the history of the West.Michael Cardinal’s nephew (Margaret Cardinal Flett’s son) George Flett played an outstanding role in both Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Son of a prominent Hudson’s Bay Company trader, George worked for a while as aninterpreter during Treaty negotiations. He also served in the ProvisionalGovernment headed by Louis Riel. For many years he served as minister andfarm instructor for Keesikoowenin Reserve. For his long service as missionary inPrince Albert, George Flett rightly deserves the title of “Father of Prince Albert.”George Flett was no doubt strongly influenced by two close friends: his brother-in-law, Winnipeg’s first Presbyterian minister, John Black (who married a Metisgirl, Flett’s wife’s sister) and Reverend James Tanner (also a Metis), who was thefirst Presbyterian missionary west of Winnipeg [Dr. Peter Lorenz Neufeld., Dictionary of Metis Biography] http://www.scribd.com/doc/115047644/Dictionary-of-Metis-Biography-Volume-C

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When Treaty 2 was signed in 1871 the Keeseekoowenin Ojibway First Nation was known as the Riding Mountain Band, because they lived in the Riding Mountains, but they were sometimes also referred to as the Okanase Band, a name that derives from Michael Cardinal, who was also known as Okanase, or Oukannaysic (Which means Little Bones). When Okanase died in about 1870, his son Mekis (The Eagle) became chief and at this time they were spoken of as the Mekis of Treaty. When Mekis died, during the winter of 1874-75, his half-brother Keeseekoowenin became chief, and they were known as Keeseekoowenin's Band [ http://www.canuckster.com/read-aloud.asp?id=16114 ].